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Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):Pleasure has a price . . .Just when everything in my life is falling apart, I find a chance to turn it around--to step into someone else's glittering world, if only for a little while. I become someone new, no longer the woman defined by an ugly past, but a woman freer and bolder than myself. A woman who isn't afraid to explore every passion, even at its darkest, with a mysterious and seductive man who believes my mask is real.

Handsome and commanding, enigmatic and irresistible, billionaire Dominic Baine is an obsession I cannot afford and should not risk. He ushers me into consuming new pleasures and addicting new desires, until the line between my real life and the fantasy one I've stolen with him begins to blur.

I know I cannot keep my truth from him. I know my past will not stay buried forever. But before I can make it right, everything comes crashing down. I have deceived this powerful, dangerous man . . . and now there is a price to be paid.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: This is my first time reading anything by Lara Adrian....it won't be the last. I loved it. Great story: Self made female, rich and handsome male, steamy scenes, ending setting me up for book 2! Very easy and quick read.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Oh yes....I have For 100 Nights on my nightstand!

LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed to more than 20 countries. Her books have been named among Amazon’s Top Ten Romances of the Year, and have also been nominated by readers multiple times as finalists for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance of the Year. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), “strikingly original” (Booklist), and “one of the best vampire series on the market” (Romantic Times).

Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter). More recently, the German translation of Heart of the Hunter debuted on Der Spiegel bestseller list.

With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in New England, where she is working on her next novel. Visit Lara’s website and sign up for new release announcements at http://bit.ly/LaraAdrianNews

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):With the haunting atmosphere and emotional power ofThe Language of Flowers,Orphan Train,andThe Light Between Oceans, critically acclaimed children's author Jean E. Pendziwol's adult debut is an affecting story of family, identity, and art that involves a decades-old mystery.

Though her mind is still sharp, Elizabeth's eyes have failed. No longer able to linger over her beloved books or gaze at the paintings that move her spirit, she fills the void with music and memories of her family, especially her beloved twin sister, Emily. When her late father's journals are discovered after an accident, the past suddenly becomes all too present.

With the help of Morgan, a delinquent teenager performing community service at her senior home, Elizabeth goes through the diaries, a journey through time that brings the two women closer together. Entry by entry, these unlikely friends are drawn deep into a world far removed from their own, to Porphyry Island on Lake Superior, where Elizabeth's father manned the lighthouse and raised his young family 70 years before.

As the words on those musty pages come alive, Elizabeth and Morgan begin to realize that their fates are connected to the isolated island in ways they never dreamed. While the discovery of Morgan's connection sheds light onto her own family mysteries, the faded pages of the journals will shake the foundation of everything Elizabeth thinks she knows and bring the secrets of the past into the light.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Light Keeper's Daughters was very enjoyable. It was a great story that grabbed me right from the beginning. What I was not expecting with a mystery within the story. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong....way wrong. I loved how the past and present were blended together to make a wonderful read.

Given I am from Michigan, I enjoyed the setting of Lake Superior!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I would like to read another book by Jean Pendziwol.

Jean E. Pendziwol is an award winning Canadian author of books for adults and children. She was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award and the 2014 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for Once Upon a Northern Night (Groundwood Books, 2013). Her children’s books include the critically acclaimed No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Kids Can Press), which continues to be used as a valuable resource for teaching fire safety. Her debut adult novel, The Light Keeper’s Daughters will be published by HarperCollins in 2017. Jean's latest children's book, Me and You and the Red Canoe, (Groundwood Books) will also be released in 2017. She lives in the shadow of the Nor’Wester Mountains near Lake Superior and draws inspiration for her stories from the rich history, culture and geography of northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has three adult children, a loveable mutt, and a coop of temperamental chickens, all occasionally tormented by visiting deer, foxes, wolves and bears.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):From USA Today best-selling author Sarah Morgan comes a hot new trilogy set in the exciting world of New York City. Don't miss this heartwarming story about a trio of women navigating friendship, finding love, and embracing life!

Cool, calm, and competent, events planner Paige Walker loves a challenge. After a childhood spent in and out of hospitals, she's now determined to prove herself - and where better to take the world by storm than Manhattan? But when Paige loses the job she loves, she must face her biggest challenge of all - going it alone.

Except launching her own events company is nothing compared to hiding her outrageous crush on Jake Romano - her brother's best friend, New York's most in-demand date, and the only man to break her heart. When Jake offers Paige's fledgling company a big chance, their still-sizzling chemistry starts giving her sleepless nights. But can she convince the man who trusts no one to take a chance on forever?

One (or more) Sentence Summary: Sleepless in Manhattan was a true chicklit book, my favorite genre! I love the three female and three male characters. I can see where the other books will go and I love it! Paige loses her job and has to make a tough decision in a tough city....dive in or go home. With the help of her friends and a hot man, she makes the right decision. Sleepless in Manhattan is an easy read that left me wanting more. Good thing there are several other books in the series!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes. I want to read the whole series!

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon): In this juicy first novel by Elin Hilderbrand, a series of personal dramas are played out during one summer at a Nantucket Beach Club. It's about the love of summer, summer love, and the special feelings we all have for that special summer place - in this case, a hotel and an island.

Mack Petersen, manager of the hotel, has been working at The Beach Club for 12 summers. Only this summer is different. His boss, the owner of the hotel, Bill Elliot, shows up in the spring with a new set of demands. His girlfriend, Maribel, is pressing Mack to get married and Vance, the African-American bellman, who has hated Mack since the day Mack stole his job 12 years ago, threatens him in a deadly scene. Mack knows something's got to give.

Love O'Donnell, the new front desk person straight from the slopes of Aspen, is desperately searching for a stranger to father her child. The bellman, Jem Crandall, who posed as Mr. November in his college calendar, is on his way to LA to break into agenting, until he falls in love with Maribel. Emotions are at a peak when a hurricane threatens to wash away The Beach Cluband all it stands for.

An engrossing, sexy novel that will sweep you away to the beach any time of the year.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Beach Club was a good book to read as winter is approaching. Even though it is a beach read, I think it is perfect to read anytime of year. I could very easily picture the club and the cast of characters. There were a lot of characters in The Beach Club but it did not take away from the story as they were all woven together. Each one had something going on that pretty much got resolved by the end of the book. The Beach Club was an enjoyable read.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes. I have read several of Elin Hildebrand's books and have enjoyed them all. I have several on my Audible account just waiting to be listened too! I am so jealous of where she lives - Nantucket! It is on my places to visit list.

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over 20 years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international best-selling author Diane Chamberlain.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: What an interesting story. It is amazing what parents will do to protect a child and the harm it can do to the other kids. Riley finds out some deeply buried secrets and she takes us through her journey as they secrets unfold. The Silent Sister was well written and kept me wanting more. I just wanted to solve the mystery of what happened 20 years ago. I think The Silent Sister is set up for a sequel!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I thought I had read another book by Diane Chamberlain, but I have not. I would like to read several of her books.

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 25 novels published in more than twenty languages. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane’s background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie, Cole. She has three stepdaughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. She’s currently at work on her next novel.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):With empathy, grace, humor, and piercing insight, the author ofGods in Alabamapresents a powerful, emotionally resonant novel of the South that confronts the truth about privilege, family, and the distinctions between perception and reality - the stories we tell ourselves about our origins and who we really are.

Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs' weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman.

It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She's having a baby boy - an unexpected but not unhappy development in the 38-year-old's life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional Southern family, her stepsister Rachel's marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved 90-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she's been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.

Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother's affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she's pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she's got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie's been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family's freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: Another good read from Joshlyn Jackson. Almost Sisters has lots of twists and turns through out the book. I just adored the characteristics and the relationship between Birchie and Leia. The story has a little bit of everything...family, love, mystery, hate, and hope all woven together.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I have read several of Jocelyn's books and have enjoyed them all.

Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, including gods in Alabama and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. A former actor, Jackson is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband and their two children.

Monday, December 4, 2017

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

Synopsis:The women who spent their childhood summers in a small southern town discover it harbors secrets as lush as the marshes that surround it...Bonny Blankenship’s most treasured memories are of idyllic summers spent in Watersend, South Carolina, with her best friend, Lainey McKay. Amid the sand dunes and oak trees draped with Spanish moss, they swam and wished for happy-ever-afters, then escaped to the local bookshop to read and whisper in the glorious cool silence. Until the night that changed everything, the night that Lainey’s mother disappeared.

Now, in her early fifties, Bonny is desperate to clear her head after a tragic mistake threatens her career as an emergency room doctor, and her marriage crumbles around her. With her troubled teenage daughter, Piper, in tow, she goes back to the beloved river house, where she is soon joined by Lainey and her two young children. During lazy summer days and magical nights, they reunite with bookshop owner Mimi, who is tangled with the past and its mysteries. As the three women cling to a fragile peace, buried secrets and long ago loves return like the tide.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Bookshop at Water's End was a really nice refreshing read. I loved the setting in South Carolina. My favorite was the bookshop and the lessons learned there. It was a magically place. Even though Bonny's made a tragic mistake, it made her evaluate her life and what she really wanted to change. There were lots of broken relationships that were fixed by the end of the book. Enjoyable read!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I would read another book by Patti Callahan Henry. I think Between the Tides, The Ideal of Love and Driftwood Summer all look really good.

Patti Callahan Henry is the New York Times Bestelling novelist of eleven novels. Her latest is THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER'S END with Penguin Random House/Berkley.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Synopsis (from Amazon):Everything seems quiet on Ann Brooks’s suburban cul-de-sac. Despite her impending divorce, she’s created a happy home and her daughters are adjusting to the change. She feels lucky to be in a supportive community and confident that she can handle any other hardship that life may throw her way. But then, right before Thanksgiving, a crisis strikes that turns everybody’s world upside down. Suddenly her estranged husband is forced back onto her doorstep, bringing with him his beautiful graduate assistant. Trapped inside the house she once called home, confronted by challenges she never could have imagined, Ann must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where the simple act of opening a door to a neighbor could jeopardize all she holds dear.The choices she makes will impact the lives of those around her irrevocably and linger in the reader’s memory in this marvelous first novel, written with authority, grace, and wisdom.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: The Things That Keep Us Here is so scary because it could happen! It reminds me of the bird blu scare. I loved all the emotions that Ann went through, they just seemed so real. I felt like I stepped into her shoes - and it was creepy (in a good story telling way). The family dynamics were crazy good. I hope and pray that my family and I never have to go through such a crisis.I don't know what it is, but I keep reading books that take place in Ohio - this took place in Columbus.

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I would like to read The Good Goodbye and The Deepest Secret.

Carla Buckley is the internationally bestselling author of The Good Goodbye, The Deepest Secret, Invisible, and The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award as a best first novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Wharton School of Business, and currently lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She serves on the board of the International Thriller Writers as Vice President, Awards and is at work on her next novel.